


The Miracle

by GlitterSkullFairy



Series: Unexpected Satanists [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angel Wings, Angels, BAMF Chloe Decker, BAMF Mazikeen (Lucifer TV), But different, Canon-Typical Violence, Deckerstar ALWAYS, Demons, Devil wings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Heaven, Hell, Lucifer's Dad is a DIck, Plot, Post-Season/Series 04, Rescue, Surreal Elements, TLC, Wing Grooming, Wings, deckerstar-bigbang2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 16:03:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20473754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterSkullFairy/pseuds/GlitterSkullFairy
Summary: “Lucifer, please tell me there is some way we can get you out of there.”The answer didn’t come straight away.“Short of actually managing to pin down Dad and getting him to appoint one of my siblings to the position, I’m afraid not.”She could imagine him saying it in a light-hearted way, almost as if it were a joke.  But she also knew it was the absolute truth.  “All right.  Then that’s what I’ll do.”In which Chloe borrows an Angel and a Demon and sets off on a rescue mission to get Lucifer out of Hell.





	1. I Believe He Hears My Prayers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ponderosa121](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponderosa121/gifts).

> This is it. The Biggee.
> 
> First of all, a huge thank you to Ponderosa121 for their AMAZING artwork for this story. You are Awesome. Go look, everyone, it's beautiful!: [The Miracle (Cover art)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20477705)  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/20477705 
> 
> Second, thank you to my Beautiful Beta for always being there for help and encouragement and making me Squee. It's been just over a year since I first got you to proof-read, and I never would have accomplished something like this without you. You are also Awesome.
> 
> Finally, thank you to the organisers of the Deckerstar Big Bang for making this happen. It's been a wonderful journey.
> 
> Oh, and I mustn't forget to thank all you READERS because without you, all these stories would never have made it out of my head. Each and every one of you are Awesome.

It had only been six weeks.

Six weeks since she told him she loved him. 

Six weeks since he went away.

Ella kept looking at her with a concerned face, dropping unsubtle hints to try and make sure she was okay. Whenever Chloe arrived at a crime scene Ella would lower her camera and her eyes would dart sideways, as if she was still expecting Lucifer to suddenly turn up out of the blue.

She couldn’t even tell her the real reason he was gone. “He had some stuff that he had to take care of,” she explained one day when Ella had given up on hinting and just asked her outright.

“What kind of stuff?”

“...His Dad left him with a whole mess of problems and he doesn't get it sorted out, all Hell might break lose.” It was surprising how easy it was to make the truth seem innocuous. 

“Right. Lucifer gets all the big family drama. But he'll be back, right?”

She couldn't say it. She couldn't accept that he was gone for good. “I hope so. I mean, he has to, right?” And she fled the room before Ella could hug her. Because if that happened, she would definitely start crying and she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to stop.

She tried not to let Trixie see how broken she was inside. She kept her hair washed and tidy; she put on extra foundation to hide the dark circles under her eyes from lying awake at night. She wore her shirts untucked so that no-one would see that her clothes were getting loose, but eating seemed too much like hard work. She still managed an evening meal with her daughter, but breakfast went unfinished and lunch was easy to skip in the bustle of her job. Looking after Trixie gave her a routine and a reason not to fall apart completely.

Sometimes the child would ask after Lucifer. While he’d been dating Eve, he’d stopped coming around as much, but she still thought of him as a friend. She told him he had some very important work to do, and they might not see him for a long time.

“But couldn’t he take a vacation? Come visit us?”

“No, monkey. He tried that before, and some bad things happened while he was gone. We just have to carry on without him for now, and hope that he’ll be able to come back one day.” 

Trixie tilted her head thoughtfully. “Mom, it’s Lucifer. Of course he’ll come back. He always does.”

Chloe just nodded and took the dishes to the sink. “Go get your stuff for school.”

Dan knew her too well. He could see straight through her mask of coping, because he’d seen it too many times when they were married. But just like when they were married, he was never quite brave enough to actually ask her about it. He was probably overjoyed that Lucifer was gone, and he was the last person she wanted to try and explain it to anyway.

Chloe didn’t want to bother Linda, she had a new baby keeping her busy. Maze and Amenadiel divided their time between fussing over said baby, and fussing over the mother. Perhaps it was their way of dealing with it- burying themselves in their new family- but it felt wrong. Didn't they see how wrong this was? They were all there in body, but if she tried to talk about Lucifer, all she got were a few platitudes. 

“He’s doing the right thing,” Amenadiel said. “He’s taking responsibility for once in his life, you should be proud of him.” 

Maze was even more tight-lipped than usual on the subject. If Lucifer was mentioned, she inevitably found a reason to leave the room. Not that it mattered. The demon had never been one to listen to her talk about anything important, and it wasn’t as if they were on the best of terms these days.

And then there was this case. Why, oh why did she get stuck with this case? A young man, with his throat cut and his blood drained, dumped at the entrance to a church. Which would have been hard enough- _he_ should have been there, ranting about his Dad- but then they found the tattoo on the inside of the guy's wrist. 666. Chloe desperately hoped that it was in reference to some goth rock band, but the vic didn’t look like the sort. They found his ID and contacted his next of kin. They didn’t want to know. Apparently, he’d chosen to “damn himself” and they had already given him up as dead. His father identified the body with a silent nod and left. Chloe stayed beside him, running a thumb over the numbers, grieving for the pulse that wasn’t there, grieving that he’d been so alone.

There was a tentative knock on the door, and Ella poked her head through. “Hey,” she said softly. “There are some people here I think you should meet. But I thought you’d want to question them before letting them in here.”

Chloe wiped at her face. “Who?”

“He’s part of an online group. I put up a message saying how he’ll be missed, and I got a few replies. He has friends, Chloe, and they want to say goodbye. I haven’t told them the details yet.”

She nodded. “Good. That’s good, I’ll talk to them.”

And so she ended up in the interrogation room with one of his friends, who seemed truly sad. His name was David Collins and he had pentagrams on both wrists.

Dan sat beside her, bristling. Lucifer was still a very sore subject for him, perhaps more so after he’d apparently abandoned them. The idea of people worshipping what he claimed to be didn’t sit well either. “So tell me,” he said, barely disguising his distaste, “what exactly do you do in this little cult of yours?”

David glared. “It's not a cult. It's a religion. We worship the Devil.”

“Why?” Chloe asked, a bit more gently.

“Have you seen this world lately? If God's in charge, he's either totally messed up or a complete dick.”

She considered arguing, but couldn't quite persuade herself he wasn't right. “And you think Luc-” her voice threatened to crack but she swallowed and tried again. “You think the Devil even wants your worship?” 

He opened his mouth but Dan cut him off. “You know what, don't answer that, it's irrelevant anyway. So what do you do? Orgies? Sacrificial goats? Sacrificial young men?”

“No.” His voice was steady and His face full of conviction. He wore almost the exact same expression that Lucifer did if someone accused him of a lie. “That's not who we are. We face a lot prejudice because of our faith, a lot of horror movie stereotypes, but there's none of that in my circle. We talk. Encourage one another. And…”

“Go on,” Chloe met his gaze softly, showing she was willing to listen.

“We pray.”

“Pray?” she repeated, respectfully, curiously. “You pray to the Devil?”

“Yes.”

“What do you pray for?”

“It's not like a shopping list. Not wealth or fame or anything like that. I pray for clarity, courage, strength.”

“And do you find it? Does he answer?”

Dan shifted beside her. He didn't know where she was going with this, but she put a hand on his arm and he kept quiet.

The Devil worshipper just smiled. “I believe he hears my prayers. That's enough.”

Chloe crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to hold in the mix of emotions. The hurt and loss pulled at her heart, her belly churned at the thought of how outraged Lucifer would be at the idea of being worshipped, but worst of all was the sense of hope that threatened to burst out of her chest. What if he was right? What if she could talk to him… 

“Would you... um, excuse me for a moment?”

She all but ran out of the interrogation room and hid next door to stare at the tattooed man through the glass. She watched as Dan asked him a few more questions, got his alibi which she was sure would check out. There was no motive here. Just prejudice that said he must be evil because he worshipped Lucifer. 

Lucifer. She let a few tears escape, just to stop herself from overflowing. She missed him more than she had imagined possible. And she couldn't be mad at him for leaving, not when he was doing it for all the right reasons. It was just that the reasons sucked, and the reality of life without him sucked, and she felt so unbearably alone. She wiped at her face and shoved the feelings back down. She could cry properly later, once Trixie was asleep.

But maybe…

She put her hands together and focussed her intention. “Lucifer… I don't know if you can hear me, but just in case you can, I want you to know that I love you. I miss you. I hope Hell’s not too Hellish. What am I saying, of course it is. This is ridiculous, what am I doing?” She ran her hands over her face and took several deep breaths to try and calm her pounding heart.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She fumbled for it, hoping it wasn't the school, and saw it was a text message from an unknown number. _He says “It's better now he can hear you, Detective.”_

_WTF? Who is this?_

There was a terrible pause while she waited for the answer. 

_Sorry, should have said. It's Amenadiel. Hi. Luci has decided to use me as a messenger boy. But I wouldn't be the first of my brethren in that particular role. Hold on. _

Another pause. She started counting seconds. 

_He says “It could be worse, at least they're not playing Bieber anymore. But I miss you too.” _

_So, he does actually hear my prayers?_

_Yes, and I can hear his, so I can pass on his messages. _

_You’re an angel! ;)_

She put her hands together again. “So there really is no cell reception down there?”

_“Not a single bar. It’s almost as if they didn’t want anyone down here talking to anyone up there.”_ Pause. _He’s now making jokes about singles bars, but I told him to keep it clean._

Chloe laughed. It felt good and then it hurt more keenly than ever. “Please, Lucifer, don’t piss off the messenger. We need him.”

_Wow. He just apologised. What did you do?_

She quickly tapped a text back. _I’m the Devil’s conscience. BTW, if we’re going to keep doing this, I need to set you up with an instant messaging account. I’ll call you about that later._

“Lucifer, please tell me there is some way we can get you out of there.”

The answer didn’t come straight away. _“Short of actually managing to pin down Dad and getting him to appoint one of my siblings to the position, I’m afraid not.”_

She could imagine him saying it in a light-hearted way, almost as if it were a joke. But she also knew it was the absolute truth. “All right. Then that’s what I’ll do.”

_“It won’t be easy. And it will be dangerous. But something tells me I won’t be able to stop you trying.”_

“If you didn’t want me to try, you shouldn’t have told me how. And I know you hate it there. You don’t belong there, not anymore. I promise I will find a way.”

_“If anyone can, it’s you, my dear Detective.”_

She held the phone to her chest and wiped away another tear. There was a knock and Dan poked his head through. “You okay?”

She stared at him, unsure how to answer.

“This is about Lucifer going away, isn't it?”

“I _really_ don't need to hear one of your rants right now, Dan.”

“You miss him, I get it. And hearing that guy talk is bound to bring up memories. But asking him all that stuff about prayer? Have you suddenly got religion or something?”

“I don't think religion is quite the right word.”

“Chloe, what are you talking about?” he asked her with a note of concern.

She'd had enough of bluffing, so she decided to just tell him. “It's all true Dan. Lucifer really is the Devil. That massacre at the Mayan was a bunch of demons who were trying to steal Linda's baby. Who, by the way, is half angel. Lucifer didn't just disappear again, he went back to Hell to protect us, to keep them all contained.”

His hands rested on his hips as he opened his mouth to disagree, but the look on her face made him shut it again.

“I know it's a lot, but… look.” Lifting her hands once more, she prayed, “Lucifer, is there anything you can say to Dan to make him believe that you're really you? I'm going to need back up on this mission.”

Her phone buzzed again.

“Is he texting you?” Dan was incredulous. 

“No signal down there. He talks to Amenadiel via some kind of angel radio, and he texts me.”

Dan watched silently as she read, his brain replaying all sorts of events from a different perspective. Amenadiel as an angel… actually made a lot of sense.

_He's questioning how much help Dan can offer on this, but if you insist…_

“Yes, I insist, please.”

This time Dan's phone buzzed. His face paled as he pulled it out of his pocket. His friend’s name flashed up, and below it the message. _His exact words were “Hello Detective Douche. Perry Smith sends his regards.”_

Dan felt the entire universe shift underneath his feet. There were two ways that Amenadiel could have known about Perry, but he was pretty sure that Maze wouldn’t have said anything, and even if she had, how did he get that text at that exact moment? The other option… Because if Lucifer really was the Devil and he was back in Hell, of course he would be seeking out that asshole for some personal attention. Which meant Chloe was telling the truth. Hell was real. He was most likely going there. Darkness clouded the edges of his vision and he leant on the wall until it passed. He could deal with all those thoughts later.

_Luci wants to know if he broke Dan._

“Maybe just a little.”

Dan breathed and straightened, and looked Chloe in the eye. “Well, that explains a lot, I guess. And here was I panicking that you might be in love with him.”

Her head bobbed a little and she tugged at her jacket. “Actually, um, yeah. I am.”

Dan's eyes narrowed. “I'm not sure that being in love with him as the Devil is any worse than being in love with him when he just thinks he's the Devil. Actually no, I think it's better. So what's this mission you need back-up for?”

“To get him back, of course.”

“How?”

“Still working on that part. I'll go see the celestial squad after work and pick their brains.”

“Celestial squad?”

“You know. Amenadiel. Maze. Linda might have some ideas too, she's been in the loop longer than me.”

“How long have you known?”

“About a year. It’s why I went away.”

“But then you came back. And you stayed friends, in spite of all his… everything.”

“He had a lot of stuff to work out. Like, a lot of issues. He needed a friend.”

“The Devil?”

“Yes. But he’s still our Lucifer. Just, also _the_ Lucifer.”

Dan licked his lips. “Look, Chlo, I am totally on board with helping you, you know I got your back. But are sure that this is safe? That _he’s_ safe?”

“Are you forgetting how many times he’s saved my life? He won’t hurt anyone.”

“You mean anyone who doesn’t deserve it?”

“Dan, please!”

“He’s a loose cannon, Chloe!”

“You have no idea what-” she shook her head. “No. Forget it. Clearly you have made up your mind, and I do not want to be having this conversation right now.” She went to go, but he stopped her at the door. 

“I’m sorry, okay? It’s just… This is a lot.”

“I know. And I can’t expect you to get to grips with it all at once. It took me long enough. All I can say is that he is a good guy, but a lot of bad things have happened to him, and he’s not at all what everyone thinks he is.”

“And he’s… in Hell, right now?”

“Yes.”

“Torturing people.”

“It’s not like he was given a choice. It’s Hell for him, too, you know.”

“Which is why you want to get him out.”

“Yes. That and… I just need him back.”

Dan dragged a hand over his face. “Is this going to earn me bonus points with the Big Guy, or will I be getting even more damned for this?”

“Dan, you’re not damned-”

“You don’t know half of what I’ve done, Chloe.”

“Well, in that case, you should probably talk to Lucifer about it when he gets back. I’m sure you can make some kind of... deal.”

“That’s not funny.”

“It wasn’t meant to be. Look, I’ve asked him a bunch of this stuff. Made for some interesting stake-outs. The way I understand it, it all comes down to your own conscience. If you have guilt you need to deal with, work it out, find your redemption, and one day you’ll get to see Charlotte again.”

“I… Because Amenadiel’s an angel too.”

“Yes. And Maze is a demon. And Trixie is perfectly safe with her, in case you're wondering about that.”

“Holy shit.” He turned away and back again, rubbing at the back of his neck. “In the meantime, we have a real job to do. And I know you’re not going to like this, but I think we need to bring the parents back in. Some of the stuff that guy said…”

“I know. I can’t even begin to imagine…”

Dan nodded, then smirked. “Well, I guess there is an upside to all this.”

“Which is?”

“At least I know scum like that are going to get what they’re owed.”

“Yes," Chloe nodded sharply. "There is that.”


	2. Time Trials

They had the father arrested by the end of the day, though it was later than she would have liked. He had done the deed himself, with help from another member of their congregation. For the first time, she was glad Lucifer wasn’t here. It would have been too personal even by his standards, and it would have hurt and angered him more than she could bear. But it was done. So she set off to see the celestial squad.

Linda opened the door. “Come on in, Chloe. Charlie’s sleeping. Amenadiel’s told us what’s been going on.”

She took in the anxious body postures- Maze perched on the back of the sofa, spinning one of her knives; Amenadiel holding tightly onto the back of a dining chair. Everyone was clearly tense. “That I’m planning a rescue mission?”

“Something like that. Do you have any idea how?”

“I’ve been thinking about it,” she said, pacing the room. “And clearly, I need to find a way to talk to God. And I don’t just mean praying, I mean talk directly, like face to face. Is that possible?”

“Not usually, no,” Amenadiel answered. “But then we are in uncharted territory here. Luci's acting responsibly, Maze is caring for an infant, and I have somehow become a father. So I suppose anything is possible.”

“How, though?”

“If I want to get somebody to listen, usually shouting really loud helps,” Maze suggested. “Or threatening. We can't threaten your Dad directly, but we could threaten some angels.”

“You're talking about my brothers and sisters.”

“Maze…” Linda said warningly.

“Oh right. I forgot the please. Can we threaten your siblings, _please_ Amenadiel?”

“You know you can't enter heaven. It would be lethal. And Chloe might, but it’s unlikely she'd get out again.”

“So we just go as far as the Pearly Gates,” Chloe pointed out. “There are gates, right? Or is that part an actual metaphor?”

“There are Gates. Yes. But they're not how you imagine them.”

“So we go up to Heaven's door, and start knocking and making a fuss until somebody hears us.”

“Like trick or treating?” Maze grinned.

“Sure. Why not?”

“Because you're human, Chloe, there's no telling how entering those realms will affect you. It could be very dangerous.”

Linda shuffled uncomfortably. “But she's a miracle too!” she blurted out. “I'm sorry I know I'm not supposed to say, but under the circumstances…”

“What do you mean, miracle?” Chloe asked quietly. 

“I mean, Amenadiel was sent to your mom before you were born, to bless her so she could have you.”

Chloe stared at her, and then stared at Amenadiel. “And I'm only hearing about this now because…”

Linda's reply came all in a rush. “Because it's huge and you've had plenty to think about already over the last year, and frankly, I think Lucifer should have been the one to tell you, but he's had plenty of other issues to worry about, so you can argue with him about it once we've got him back.”

“Okay. Fine. But how does it change things, what does it mean?”

“It means my Father probably has some kind of plan for you?" Amenadiel answered. "Nobody knows what it is yet, but we assume it has something to do with Lucifer, because it's also the most likely reason you're immune to him.”

“I'm hearing 'probably' and 'most likely' a lot, are you saying He doesn't actually talk to you either?”

“He hasn't spoken to any of us in a very long time.”

“And a very long time for an angel is what, a hundred years?”

“More like a few thousand.”

She sighed and tried to run some of the tension from her neck. “This is going to be harder than I thought.”

“Yeah, their Dad can be a real bitch to get hold of, but you've already achieved the impossible with Lucifer, so who's to say what you can or can't do?”

“Maze, are you being encouraging?” she gave the demon an incredulous look.

“Maybe. But if I'm lucky, I might get to go beat up some angels, so there's that.”

There was silence for a moment as they all thought carefully. Then a cry from the other room interrupted them. Linda excused herself and came back with the baby. She settled on the sofa to feed him, so she wouldn’t miss anything.

“Amenadiel, what can you tell me about where we would be going?” Chloe asked.

He sighed and pulled out a chair for her to sit, taking the one beside it for himself. “Heaven and Hell exist in different realities, separate dimensions, if you will. Time flows differently there too, and space doesn't quite mean the same as it does here. There isn't any matter in the strictest sense, just the manifestation of energy and spirit. The realms that exist- and I use the term exist in the loosest possible way- between Heaven, Earth and Hell, are… well, they're even more messed up than that.”

Maze adjusted her angle to get a better view of Linda and Charlie. “I would say imagine the worst acid trip you've ever had and multiply it by ten thousand, but I bet you never did drugs.”

“Once,” Chloe admitted. “But it just made me feel sick.”

“Did you ever read the book of Ezekiel?” Amenadiel asked.

“Yes. I looked at a lot of stuff when I was in Rome. That's the freaky one with all the eye monsters, right?”

He nodded. “And that's written by the guy who just looked through the window. I'm not sure how strong you'd need to be to survive in there.”

“And come out the other side with your brain intact,” Maze added, not so helpfully.

“I wasn't going to mention it, but that’s also a considerable risk.”

“Look, if I'm going to do this thing, I need to know all the risks.”

“And then you'll do it anyway, right?” Maze said.

“Probably. If there's even a chance…” She took a deep breath and sat back. “But I'm a miracle. I'm immune to Lucifer and his powers, maybe I could be immune to this too.”

“You're not immune to my powers, though Chloe. I've used them on you successfully more than once.”

She gave him a questioning look.

“Slowing time.”

“Yes! Plucking a bullet out of the air and putting it in his pocket. He told me that one.”

“So why don't we just see how she copes in slow time?” the demon asked. “It's not as freaky as the between realms, but for mortals, it's weird enough.”

“Because… uh… I can't do that anymore.”

“You can't? But you got your wings back. You're all angelic again.”

“Yes, but I still have some kind of mental block. I'm strong, and invulnerable, but my time powers keep me apart from humanity, and I don't want that anymore.”

“So its a feelings thing?”

“Sorry. Other than the fact it won't work, it's not a bad idea.”

“Except we can make it work.”

“How?”

She gestured dramatically towards Linda. 

“She has a valid point,” Linda agreed. “Although I'm not sure that I can do it overnight. I spent years working with Lucifer and even then…”

“Yeah, but this is Amenadiel. He's a lot less complicated. Also he seems to get a life-changing personal revelation at least once a week, and he's overdue.”

Amenadiel huffed at that, but raised his hands in submission. “I'm willing to give it a try.”

Maze grinned and went to the kitchen, coming back with a bag of popcorn, and throwing herself sideways into an armchair. “This is gonna be fun to watch.” She started throwing popcorn into her mouth.

Linda delicately opened her hand to invite Amenadiel to join her on the sofa. “Well, I think I’ve seen enough to believe your theory that the psychological affects the physical when it comes to angels. So this is not too much of a leap. Tell me about when you used to use your power.”

“I would slow things down, do whatever job I had to do, and then fly away before anyone saw me. I never even thought about hanging around to get to know anyone. But the people I’ve met in the last few years have changed my life. You more than anyone. I don’t want there to be anything that keeps us apart.”

She took a sharp breath as she looked at his sincere expression, seeing something there that she thought had gone long since. She examined the thought from various angles, her eyes fixed on the bubble-wrapped ceiling fan, and then carefully put it aside to look at later, after he got back safely. “So you want to stay close to... humanity.”

“I spent an eternity watching planets from afar. I thought I was above everyone. I kept myself distant. But since I got close, I have seen more, felt more, experienced things I’ve never dreamed of. I have a son. Charlie is the most amazing thing in the entire universe to me.”

She looked down at their son, who settled and seemed to be almost drifting back to sleep. “He is, isn't he? Why don’t you hold him?” She shuffled over and handed Charlie to his father. “Sometimes, I look down at his face, and I wish I could make time stand still. I wish I could make this time last forever.”

Amenadiel smiled and stroked the baby's face. “Now that would be something. To have this wonderful feeling and keep it always.”

“You know that you will always be his dad. No matter where you go, whatever happens, whoever he grows up to be.”

“I know, but this… this is something beautiful. He's so small and fragile, so completely innocent. I worry about the way the world will change him.” He gazed down softly, and Charlie close that moment to reach out with his tiny hand grab his dad's finger, grasping it tightly and gurgling contentment. It the most precious moment, and Amenadiel's heart swelled with pride.

Maze burst out laughing. 

“Hey, Amenadaddy, check it out!” He turned to see her pointing to a piece of popcorn that hovered in the air. A quick glance at Charlie confirmed that he was still active, his lips moving as though suckling, and his hand waving as though he was trying to work out how to get the finger into his mouth. Linda and Chloe sat frozen, however.

“She really did it,” he stated, sounding impressed. “She truly is remarkable.”

“Also cool to know the kid's got enough celestial in him to be immune to you. If it turns out he's invulnerable does that mean I can start leaving weapons around?”

“No.”

“Hey, while the humans aren't listening, tell me what you really think of this plan. Is it actually going to work?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. Even if we do manage to get to speak to Father, the likelihood of getting him to change his mind about Lucifer is small. I can't imagine him sending anyone else to take over. But then again, what if…”

“Another of your grand theories?”

“Earlier, when Lucifer was praying to me, I felt something. I could sense how much he really loves her. That’s why he did this, why he went back. It’s changed him. And it makes me wonder… what if this was all part of the plan? Luci has grown. And Chloe was certainly created for a purpose. What if this was it? Part of some intricate design that leads to his redemption, so that he can finally be free?”

“Or, your Dad is still a dick and He just throws a bunch of crap up in the air to see how it lands.”

“Or, He has something else in mind that we have no way of knowing.”

“Just don't start throwing around the word 'ineffable,' you don't have the platinum curls.”

“You have the leather trousers though.”

“I could do the whole outfit, if that's your thing. After we get back from saving Lucifer, of course. What's the worst that could happen?”

He grunted. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

She shrugged. “Can't be worse than some other stuff I've seen.”

“Someone could come after Charlie and Linda while we're gone.”

Her face fell. “I was wrong. That's worse.”

“I can put up wards for protection. And we can ask Dan to keep watch.”

She nodded. “We still have to try though, right?”

“Right.”

“So unfreeze everybody and let's get started. Oh no, wait!” She tipped her head back and opened her mouth under the floating piece of popcorn. “Okay, go!”

It dropped down into her mouth and Linda did a double take as she realised Amenadiel had shifted. “Did you just… Did I really just fix you? That was less than five minutes!”

“Linda,” Chloe said cautiously, “I think you may need to up your rates.” She walked over to join the rest of them. “So, what’s next?”

“Next I slow time with you in it. See how you cope. Make sure that it doesn’t make you sick or anxious. If you can cope in there, it’s a good indication of whether you will be able to cope in the celestial realms. And it’s a lot safer, because if it starts to go wrong, at least here I can put you straight back.”

“Okay,” she nodded thoughtfully. “Do I need to do anything to prepare, or do we just jump right in?”

“I've never done this with a human before, so I don't know.”

“Do you need to pee?” Maze asked. “Cause that would be awkward.”

“No, Maze. I do not need to pee.” She said, her eyes rolling upwards. But really, it was nice to have someone making inappropriate comments again. Then curiosity for the better of her. "And why would that be awkward?"

"Because everything moves so slowly. If you went to the bathroom, it just wouldn't… go anywhere."

Maybe just to be safe… "May I…?" She pointed towards the hallway.

"Be my guest," Linda replied. 

Amenadiel handed Charlie back. "It didn't affect him either. So it's possible he has some power of his own."

"Powers or no powers, he's ours. We have more than most parents to learn and no guidebook. But so far, I think we're doing pretty good."

Chloe returned quickly. "Right, all set. Let's do it."

Amenadiel came and stood in front of her and took her hands. "Like we said, this might feel a little weird. Watch." He picked up one of Charlie's toys from the side and threw it in the air. Chloe watched as it went up- but didn't come down.

Her brain stalled for a moment. There was no explanation for this but it was still trying to find one. She nudged the toy with her finger. "Huh."

"How are you feeling?"

"Not sure yet." She walked around the room a little, noting the way Charlie moved but Linda didn't. She knelt in front of her friend. "Is she still breathing?"

"Yes, just very, _very_ slowly."

"Am I still breathing?"

"Well, you're talking, so something is going in and out of your lungs. I'll keep you here for a bit and we'll see if you start to feel light headed or uncomfortable in any way."

Her hand went to her neck and she pressed two fingers under her jaw. Her eyes darted left and right and then she nodded. "I still have a pulse, but it's slower than normal. A lot slower."

She ran in the spot while counting sixty Mississippis, and then took it again. It hadn't changed. Also, she didn't feel short of breath at all.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Maze asked. 

"Checking that my body can cope with this. Which first tests suggest that it can." She looked around and picked up a book off the table. It wasn't exactly heavier, but she could feel that it had more resistance than normal. Like it didn't want to move. She let go and it stayed where it was. She laughed.

"Still okay?"

"Yeah. I'm starting to see how much fun this could be. It's like Quicksilver."

"Mercury?"

"No, X-men. Dan let Trixie watch the movies, and then she made me watch them too. Not my usual thing, but it was fun. Wait, how come I can hear you? Sound waves are made of moving air, but nothing else is moving."

"You really do think about things from every angle, don't you?"

"I'm not sure if it's a habit I picked up from work, or if it's what makes me good at my job. Either way, it never seems to stop."

"And if I told you it was just part of how the miracle works, would that stop you wondering?"

"No. But I'm learning to take things a little more on faith lately, so I'll live with it." She walked over to Maze. "Pinch me. Not too hard!" she amended as Maze raised her hand. It hurt, which was good. It meant that her nerves were still functioning. She wasn't quite sure how her biology was affected so that some parts were still working normally but others were running slow.

"Do you want me to slap you too?'

"No, thank you, that's enough to know it still works. I think everything's okay. It's… bizarre, but I don't feel wrong or ill at all."

"That's good. Are you ready to speed up again?"

She nodded. It was a kind of rush as sound and movement returned around her. Her arms went out slightly for balance as her heart resumed its normal pace. 

Linda jumped as the book thudded back to the table and the toy clattered to the floor behind her. "Did it work?"

"Yes, it did," Amenadiel sounded very pleased. "It doesn't mean that the mission will be any easier, but at least we know it's possible."

"So when do we leave?" Maze asked.

The enormity of the task was suddenly a bit more intimidating. "I might need a couple of days. I need to talk to Dan, make sure he'll be alright with Trixie. I also need to sort out a couple of things, just in case…" 

Linda nodded solemnly. "Hey, it'll be okay. Look how far we've all come. Have a little faith."

"Hard to have faith when… well, you know."

"You've got good people with you Chloe. They'll keep you safe. And I have a feeling that you'll be seeing him again real soon."

"I hope so, Linda. I really do."


	3. The Realms Between

Getting all her affairs in order "just in case" was actually very straightforward. She was a cop, and so everything was already in place, she just needed to make sure it was all up to date.

The hard part was finding the right moment to talk to Dan. She couldn't exactly have that conversation in the break room. So she invited him round for family dinner. Trixie was happy to have them both together on the weekend, but they were both feeling the strain. Chloe because of what was about to do, and Dan because of the truth he had just learned. But Chloe made a real effort to make it a good memory, a happy time, nonetheless. Dan took his cue from her, but as soon as Trixie was settled in bed, he dragged her over to the dining table.

“You’re planning something,” he stated, in a hushed voice. “And I’m not going to like it am I?”

“No. You’re not.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“I’m going to try and rescue Lucifer.”

“Does he even need rescuing? Isn’t that where he belongs?”

She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath.

“Sorry, that came out wrong, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“He went back because some demons got loose, tried to take Linda’s baby. They need a king to keep them in check. But he hates it there. It’s a job that was forced on him.” She sighed. “Dan, this is important. I need you to trust my judgement. He’s been through… well, Hell, and it messed him up, but he’s not evil. He’s trying to make things right.”

“You really believe in him, don’t you?”

“He’s done more than enough to win my trust. He’s saved my life so many times. He saved Trixie, too.”

That stung. Though she didn’t know it was his fault. "So if he's there to make things right, what happens when he comes back?"

"We have to make sure someone else takes his place. One of his siblings, it has to be an angel. So the plan is to talk to his Dad and persuade Him it's somebody else's turn."

Dan swallowed. "And by his Dad, you mean…"

"Yup. Big plan. Probably a stupid plan. But the only one we have right now."

He took a few deep breaths. "So, what do you need me to do?"

She stared at him. "What, you're in? Just like that?"

"Well, like you said, I gotta trust your judgement right? Besides, if Hell is a real thing, I definitely have some atoning to do. Mostly to you."

She nodded but didn't comment. "I need you to look after Trixie. And keep an eye on Linda and Charlie. Make sure no one tries to hurt them while Maze and Amenadiel are away."

“You’re taking Maze? To talk to God?” When he said it like that, it made it sound like less of a well thought out plan.

“We need something to get His attention.”

“She’s certainly good at that.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“Hard to say.”

Dan looked down before asking the next question. “Are you coming back?”

“I won’t lie to you. There are risks. But I’m in good company.”

When he looked up, his eyes were ready to spill over. “Chlo, please. Please come back.” She closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back, sobbing. “I can’t lose you too.”

“You won’t. I’ll come back, I promise.” She turned his face towards her own and wiped away his tears. Even after everything, he was still a part of her somehow. His scent, the unyielding bulk of him, the strength of his arms around her was familiar and reassuring. “It turns out, I’m some kind of miracle. There’s a plan for me, and whatever that plan is, it’s not done yet. So I’m coming back.”

He sniffed and nodded. “I’ve been a Douche again haven’t I?”

“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t beat yourself up about your choices. Just make better choices from here out. Listen, share, don’t cut yourself off again.”

“Pot kettle much?”

“Valid point. I’m sorry I ran away when you needed me.” She laid her head against his chest. “Dan, I’m scared. I’m about to do something crazy and I have no idea what it’s going to be like.”

“It will be okay. You got two real badasses going with you. And you’re a miracle, right?”

“Right.”

“You’ll be back,” he rumbled, Terminator style. It made her laugh. “Giggle at the ghostly, remember?”

“How can I forget? Crazy pink horse.”

“She had the right idea though.”

“I’ll bear that in mind when I’m staring into the face of God.” They couldn’t help it. They slowly collapsed into hysterics together.

***

She met Maze and Amenadiel on the beach early the next morning. Maze's outfit looked almost like leather armour, while Amenadiel was wearing some kind of grey robe. 

"Any last advice before we go?" she asked with more confidence than she felt.

"Stay calm," he said. "Stay close. Your brain is going to interpret things in strange ways, because it's not built to process what goes on there. Just try to remember that it's just us."

"Okay. I'm ready."

He held out his both hands, and Maze gripped one firmly. Chloe took the other and she felt the strength of his hold. Something shifted, her stomach lurching like she was jumping in an elevator. She looked up and the sky overhead appeared to crystalise, cracking into geometric shards, each one bright and multifaceted. The sand under her feet swirled as if in a breeze, each grain a different hue, like rainbow glitter. Behind Maze, the sea surged with a loud roar and then quietened as it froze over, the froth of the waves turning to diamond dust, hanging in the air. Amenadiel looked almost exactly the same, except the dome of his head was glowing like it was made of molten bronze.

Lightning flashed across the jeweled vault that used to be the sky, startling her. "Are you okay?" Amenadiel growled, his deep voice making her think of a lion. The thought immediately filtered through to her vision, and he appeared to grow a beautiful golden mane as she watched, entranced. _Like Aslan. Or was that meant to be his Dad?_ But it also indicated she had some degree of control over the visions. She focussed back on his face, turning him back into a glowing, bald statue.

"I'm good. It's actually kinda fun." Then she turned and looked at Maze, who was grinning just a little too widely, with a few too many sharp teeth. _Cheshire cat!_ she commanded her brain, and the grin seemed a bit less evil as the demon grew long whiskers and fluffy ears. "What happens next?"

"Next, we fly," the angel said, and out from his back spread an enormous pair of silver wings. The more she looked at them, the more they shone, until they appeared as polished chrome, mirroring the multicoloured sand. "Don't let go." He flapped once, twice, and they rose up into the air. Somehow, whatever magic or power he used to lift them off the ground was immune to the pull of gravity, and both of them remained right by his side instead of hanging from his grip.

They floated up into a white fog. _Clouds. Just clouds, like in an airplane._ The lightning cracked again, this time followed by a low rumble of thunder. The clouds spun past them, faster and faster, twisting into grey spirals and huge tendrils that seemed to want to grab at her. As she looked more closely at one of them, the spiral split into a colourful fractal, but then it was gone, behind them. She wasn’t sure how long they travelled that way, but it felt too long, she was starting to feel hazy and tired. Every so often the lightning would flash, brightening the increasing gloom near or far off. Eventually, the fog started to clear, and below her she could see islands. No, not quite islands, more like worlds. It was dark all around and she was floating through a field of stars. Second to the right, and straight on till morning. Was Maze wearing a top hat? The stars darted at her, dancing around her like menacing fireflies. Amenadiel began to swoop and dodge to avoid them, his wings beating faster until it seemed he had four instead of two, creating a gust of wind which buffeted the twinkling adversaries aside. They appeared to decide that it wasn’t worth the effort and fled back into the night.

One of the spinning worlds gradually came into focus. It was bright, with sapphire seas and silver spires that reached higher than any tower that could be built on earth. Part of her brain kept trying to interpret it as a planet, for she knew that it was vast, and held an inordinate number of souls. But it also still appeared as an island, connected to the other realms by whatever road or ocean they traversed in the realms between. It was neither, she realised. It was the Silver City. 

It drew closer, and Amenadiel held her hand tightly as they ascended to Heaven, landing once more on a sandy beach. In front of her were seven steps, leading up to a gate. It was glowing white and carved with all kinds of leaves and flowers. Without letting go of her protector’s hand, she mounted the steps and knocked.


	4. The Gates of Heaven

The vines and leaves that decorated the huge gate twisted in response to her knock. The patterns they formed looked strangely like eyes and eldritch faces. Spooky.

_Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall, learn to face your fears..._

She remembered the song and raised her hand again, knocking right in the middle of a particularly creepy eyeball. It blinked.

"Hey angels! Trick or treat!" Maze called. They both looked at her. "What? That's the plan, right?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, shrugged and knocked a third time. And a fourth. 

"Keep going," Amenadiel encouraged.

After seven knocks, she shouted. "Hey God, it's me, Chloe. You know- the miracle? I need to ask you something." She bit her lip, wondering if she'd been too bold. But then the leaves parted and formed a hole, revealing another eye not made of foliage. 

"You seek to enter Heaven?" a voice intoned.

"No. I'm very comfortable right here, actually. I just want to talk."

“Open the Gate, Dokiel. She’s with me,” Amenadiel called.

“Oh, how thoughtful of you to pay us a visit, dear brother,” the voice sang. It fluctuated musically between a soft baritone and contralto. “Finally taking a break from fatherhood?”

“Open the Gate, Dokiel.”

“No, do not!” a second voice ordered. It sounded like the rush of the sea, the roar of an inferno. “Our eldest brother has forsaken us. He does not deserve entry.”

“I do not seek entry, Puriel, I seek parley. On behalf of my friend. One to whom Father gave His blessing to create.”

“Is your friend worthy?” Dokiel asked.

“I believe she is.”

“We shall see,” Puriel hissed. The pearly branches shifted again, parting to create a narrow cleft. Through it she could see two figures, but not enough to make them out. One was glowing white, the other made of crimson flames. They should have hurt her eyes, but they didn’t. This was just her mind’s projection, after all, right? She thought of cool starry nights, and the embers of the camp-fire, and their brightness dimmed a little.

Puriel spoke again, a sizzling sound, full of discontent. “What did she just do?”

“I told you, she has been blessed by our Father,” Amenadiel reminded them smugly. “Her powers are unique.”

“If that is true, she must be tested.”

“I can do that,” Chloe agreed. 

Amenadiel glanced sideways at her. “Are you sure? It’s not exactly a written test.”

“I didn’t think it would be. Will it kill me?”

“Not if all that Lucifer says about you is true.”

“Then I’ll be fine. Because he never lies.” She faced the glowing angels. “Test me.”

The Gates opened fully, and Dokiel, holding a pair of scales, stepped forward. Their figure was tall and slender, and they wore long, flowing robes of white and gold, which exposed elegant golden arms. They seemed to have both the broad shoulders she would associated with a man, and delicate breasts, while their hair was cut short on one side and hung long over a chiseled cheek bone on the other. They were beautiful, a perfect balance of male and female. "Give me your hand," they said gently, and she was happy to comply. 

Threads of light began to swirl over her body, from her heart outwards, twisting in and out of her skin. She felt like she was being drained. Each strand took a part of her with it, rushing down her arm and into Dokiel, flowing through them and collecting on the scale. They pulled a golden feather from their wing and placed it on the other side of the balance, and then she understood. Her soul was being weighed. She let it go freely, eager to pass the test. 

At last, when she was so empty she thought she might collapse, the threads stopped, resting on the plate. The scales teetered, swinging a fraction back and forth as if making a decision. They finally settled, perfectly horizontal, perfectly balanced.

Dokiel stared with a tilted head, like a curious bird. "Most intriguing," they said, but she couldn't be sure if the result was good or bad. The light rose from the balance, back onto Dokiel's hand, back up her arm and into her body. She could feel her soul returning to her, refilling her. It was wonderful to be whole again.

Dokiel let go of her hand, almost reluctantly. "You are right, brother, she is indeed remarkable."

"I would not have brought her otherwise, my sibling."

Puriel hissed and crackled and came out to join them. "She didn't fail, but she didn't exactly pass, either. I will test her myself."

Something about him made her nervous. And in spite of the fact that he wasn't much more than a pillar of fire with glowing wings, this being was very clearly a _he._

"Place your hands on mine," he commanded, holding them up vertically. She took a step closer and lifted her arms, mirroring him, palm to palm. She was expecting it to burn, but it didn't at first. There was a kind of heat there, certainly, but it reminded her more of the tingles from spicy food than the burning of a real fire. The heat built up gradually, sneakily, until it became almost intolerable. Almost. It was just on the border line, like getting into a steaming bath. She could cope, but it took focus. As the temperature rose her hands began to light up with an orange glow that travelled up her arms, and then through her shoulders to the rest of her body. It seemed to find its way into her veins, turning her blood into lava. The colour made her think of the penthouse, and Lucifer, and she clenched her jaw and bore it as it became more painful. It would have been so easy to let go, to drop her hands and make it stop, but this was her trial, and she willed herself to keep going. The glow was looking for something, she realised. It seemed to become frustrated when it couldn't find it, and notched the heat up another degree. She lurched and grunted a little at that, but held on. For a brief moment she doubted, questioned herself. How could she stand up to an angel, a being of vastly superior strength? She was only human after all, full of sin and failure. Like when she let Marcus seduce her, in the evidence room of all places. A lance of searing pain shot through her at the thought. It gave her clarity. Suddenly she knew glow for what it was- a holy fire, programmed to seek out and consume any impurity. And she knew how to fight it.

She focussed on the purest thing she could think of- her love. For Trixie. For Lucifer. For all the friends she had made along the way, even if one of them was a demon. Not that it mattered, because she loved the Devil too. And she loved justice, and fighting for what was right, which was why she was here. To find a way to bring him home. He'd done his time; it was someone else's turn.

She let the love burn through her, chasing out the holy fire that had no place in her. She was human, but she was also a miracle, and she had a purpose. And she was not going to let anyone, angel or otherwise, stand between her and getting back the one she loved. She gave a final push, imagining the sight of Lucifer's face, the feel of having him in her arms again, and her heart swelled. Puriel stumbled backwards.

Dokiel smiled. "Well, I believe that's our question answered. I'll gather some of our brethren to start petitioning Father to come see her."

Puriel wheeled on his sibling. "Don't you dare! She's not worthy!"

"She passed the test, brother! She was not consumed."

"She cheated! She did not submit, she fought back somehow."

"I've had enough of this!" Maze said, drawing her blades and storming up to face Puriel. She pointed one straight at his throat. "She did what you asked, she played your little games. Now go get your Dad so we can talk."

"You dare point a Hellblade at me?" He pulled a flaming short sword from his hip and swiped it towards her offending arm. She quickly dodged and caught it on her curved blade, grinning broadly, and pushed it away to counterstrike with her second weapon. It caught his forearm and he bled what looked like molten metal. The fight lasted longer than it should have done. He had strength and reach, but Maze was quick and she didn't flinch when he struck her, even though she was marked with red blood and white blisters.

"Can't one of you do something?" Chloe pleaded with Amenadiel and Dokiel.

"I wish I could help," Dokiel replied softly. "But even though I cannot agree with him, I dare not fight him here. Last time angels fought in Heaven, one of them Fell, never to return."

"They're right," Amenadiel agreed. "It's too dangerous."

Chloe reached for her gun, surprised to find it was still there, but simultaneously realising it wouldn’t work on an angel.

“Besides,” he continued, “Puriel’s just playing. And Maze is having fun. If we’re lucky, they’ll make enough noise to attract some Divine attention.”

She watched, but she could see that Maze was not enjoying herself as much as he thought. The demon leaped forward to slash at Puriel’s throat, and the angel lost all patience. His hand burned brighter as he lifted it, bringing it straight to the left side of her face. She screamed as it touched, the holy fire burning through her demonic essence, devouring it with an intense heat and light. Amenadiel flew quickly, wings arched, fists raised, and knocked him away from her. 

"Do not touch Mazikeen!" He roared. "She's one of mine!" He knelt over him, continuing to pummel him in the face until the fire dimmed. When he stood Chloe came to guard the prone, smoldering figure, and aimed her gun at his head. You never know, a bullet at this close range might make him think twice.

Amenadiel went quickly to check on his friend, kneeling beside her. "Maze, are you all right?"

Maze sat up, gasping, and Chloe gaped in horror. One side of her face was gone, leaving nothing but torn flesh and sinew. Maze grinned. "Relax, I'm fine. He got me on the demon side. It hurt, but you stopped him before he did any major damage. Which… thanks."

"Your welcome."

"Can I carve him up now?"

Amenadiel looked slowly at his brother, as if considering. After a long pause, he shook his head. "We better not. We wouldn't want to upset Father."

“Yes,” a smooth British voice sounding voice said from the Gate behind them. “You wouldn’t want to upset Me, especially when you have a favour to ask.”

Everyone stopped to turn and look in astonishment at the Person standing at the entrance to Heaven. The angels all smiled and all kneeled. Mazikeen boggled. Chloe managed to maintain her usual calm exterior. Right up until the point Amenadiel said “Father!” and her brain tried to melt into a puddle at the thought that she had come to speak to _Actual God._

“Hello, my children. Sorry, it’s been a while.” He looked at Chloe. “Well, haven’t you turned out splendidly!”

She froze. She was staring into the Face of God. And the only thing that came into her mind was that crazy song. _And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna... hahahaha…_ She swallowed a nervous giggle. But it did help.

He was shorter than she expected, only a couple of inches taller than herself. And he had floppy dark hair and wore a gaudy pinstripe suit. But the family resemblance was easy to see in His cocky demeanor.

“So, my dear, you’ve come all this way at considerable risk to yourself, what it is that you want to ask me?”

“Lucifer. I’ve come to speak on behalf of Lucifer, Sir.”

“As expected. State your case.”

This was it, her moment, her chance to persuade God to let her partner out of Hell. But all the speeches she’d prepared went straight out of her head. “He’s suffered enough. I know… I know what he did was wrong. Actually no, I don’t. I don’t know what he did, and I can’t imagine anything that would make him deserve the amount of pain and suffering he’s had to endure. To banish him from Heaven, to cut him off from his entire family. He’s been so alone. You abandoned him to Hell. I mean, it’s been _forever._ You taught him to hate himself so much, he turned into a monster. But that’s not who he is. I’ve seen his heart. I’ve seen the light inside him, and it’s beautiful, and the fact that it’s still shining, after all he’s been through, is nothing short of miraculous. Maybe that doesn’t mean much to You, You can have miracles whenever you want, but he’s been trapped in a place of fear and darkness and hurt. And then, when he tries to make a new start, finds people to care about, a new family, that gets taken away from him too. He went back to Hell to protect us, to protect Your grandson, but being back there is going to destroy him. He’s done his time. Can’t you send someone else? Please?”

“It’s a pretty speech. Very heartfelt. Mostly true. But there’s one very important reason that I can’t send anyone else. None of them would survive down there. Samael was the only one strong enough. You should have seen him in those days, he was so bright he lit up the entire sky.”

“Then maybe You should get off Your Divine Ass and do something before that light goes out entirely! Because it will. He just learned to hope again, to start to believe in himself only to have that snatched away. That place will finish him.”

“I wish there was a way, but my hands are tied.”

“He’s your son! And You’re God! You can do anything!”

“I can’t just go changing the rules of the universe willy-nilly. Things would start to fall apart.”

She didn’t mean to. But her fist clenched all by itself and moved so quickly she couldn’t stop it. Perhaps she’d been hanging out with Lucifer too much or perhaps it was just all that he’d said about his Dad that made her think he was just being a Dick again. It felt worse than hitting a brick wall, which she had actually tried once when the breathing and the eye-rolling just didn’t cut it. There was some kind of barrier around Him, a protective aura that shimmered like rainbows in a bubble. She thought she might have broken every bone between her knuckles and her elbow.

“Bloody Hell!” she swore, loudly, cradling her arm. “You don’t have to change the rules, you just have to change one thing. Change one piece of the puzzle so that Hell can have a new King and Lucifer can come home.”

“If I let him back into Heaven now-”

“Not here! _His_ home. In LA.”

He took her arm in His hands and the pain vanished. “Some things are easy to fix, child. Others are more complicated. I cannot send another angel into Hell. Not after I’ve seen what it did to Lucifer. My children don’t belong there.”

“So change something else. The demons- they’re happy there, aren’t they? Can you make one of them King?”

“The rules are that the King must be an angel.”

“So promote somebody. Transform one of the demons into an angel.”

He stared. “You _are_ splendid! That’s just the answer! See, Amenadiel, it worked!”

“Wait, what?”

“They say I play dice with the universe, but it’s not true. Although sometimes I do mix things up to see what happens. I saw how Samael changed. I thought he could handle it, but Hell just kept getting bigger, and his light got a little dimmer every thousand years or so. I knew I couldn’t just leave him there forever, but I had no idea how to fix things. So I made you- someone who could meet him and see him for who he truly was. Without the charms, without his ability to read you. I thought, perhaps, when you arrived here naturally, you could help me think of something, but you got here early. And I never once anticipated that you would get as close to each other as you did. Either of you. But there was more light left in him that I realised, and in spite of everything you found it, and it led you here. My dear little miracle.”

“But… what about the prophecy? His first love? Isn’t that meant to be me?”

“That’s the thing about prophecy. Someone picks up a fragment of the future, but they don’t have the right words to explain it. And then it gets passed on into another language, another time, another culture. The prophecy means that there is no hope for Samael unless he learns real love. If he can escape from Hell, walk the earth and find a life that he values more than his own, and learns to accept love in return, then he will be free.”

“But it said- ‘evil shall be released?’ Doesn’t that mean something bad will happen?”

“Heavens, no, they have been taking liberties with the translation, haven’t they? I suppose his name did become synonymous with evil in the end. And here you are, finding a way to release him from his prison. Now, let me see…” He held up one hand in front of Him, palm up, and frowned at it. Without ceremony or even so much as a pop, he was holding something. A small vial, about the size of a plum, with rays of light shooting out through the ornate metal-work around it. Chloe decided that if she ever visited Heaven again, she was bringing sunglasses. “I can’t show up down there, of course, but I have infused this with enough divinity to accomplish the transformation. Just get one of demons to drink it- it doesn’t matter which one.”

“Father- are you expecting Chloe to come with us? To Hell?” Amenadiel asked in confusion.

“Of course. Have you seen her? I’ve only just met her, and I can already tell she’s not the sort to sit around waiting for things to be done. Also she seems to be rather headstrong and passionate about your brother, and I get the impression she’d like to see him as soon as possible.”

“She won’t be safe,” Maze said. “Hell is no place for someone as pure as she is, she’ll be eaten alive.”

“Which is why I’m going to tether her to both of you. What do you think, Dokiel? Light and darkness, angel and demon- the perfect balance of protection.”

“I think it’s beautiful,” they replied.

“Good. You can help me. Both cords will need to be attached at the same time, so as not to break her apart. The light part is easy, but for the demon I’ll need something dark, something Hell will recognise.”

“I’ve got my blades,” Maze suggested. “I’d hate to lose them, but I’m not sure what else we’ve got.”

Chloe’s hand went to her throat. “What about this?”

"That looks powerful. What is it?"

"Lucifer gave it to me for my birthday. It's made from a bullet that I shot in his leg. I've seen enough forensics reports to know that there's probably still traces of his blood on it."

"Yes. That will be just right. You won't be getting it back, mind you."

She reached behind her neck to unfasten It, and held it out. "If it's a choice between the necklace or Lucifer, I chose Lucifer. No competition."

"Very well." He took the necklace and concentrated again. The bullet pendant seemed to melt into the chain, which then grew and thickened until it was an inch wide and a few yards long. He passed it Dokiel, who still held the scale. God took the golden feather from it and gave it a look until it grew into a cord of similar proportions. Dokiel tucked the scale somewhere on their person took the second cord, holding each piece by the end. 

"Dokiel will bind you. Amenadiel and Mazikeen, I need you to take the ends of the bonds."

She was surprised at how readily Maze followed His instructions. With the far ends held, Dokiel crossed the bonds behind her and looped them round her waist, folding them back around. The gold touched back on itself and connected forming a circle of light, at the same time as the chain met itself and went dark. She felt like a dog with two leashes.

"It is done," the Creator said. "Are you ready to release the Devil from Hell?"

"More than ready. Let's go."

"You go with my blessings, Chloe Decker. Even so you must stay on the paths, enter and exit through the Gates, so that your soul is not torn asunder. Be brave and steadfast. I will see you again."

And she prayed. _Lucifer, hold on, we're coming._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because in my head, if Mum is Six, Dad will always be Gaius Baltar.


	5. The Gates of Hell

Lucifer had retreated once more to his lofty throne. This whole thing wasn’t as easy as it once was. Try as he might to detach himself from the cries of agony, every so often he found himself hesitating. The demons were starting to notice. They said he’d gone soft. He would roar at them, and they would cower, but he was spending more and more time in his Devil form just to remind himself of what he needed to be. A part of him was afraid he would forget how to be anything else. A part of him longed for that to happen, so he could just get on with the job. So many wretches to be punished, and all the time in eternity. 

But he couldn’t forget. Not her. Not the way she made him feel. He wanted to be better, to be worthy of her love, even if he couldn't be near her. And the best way to do that was to keep her safe. And to do that, he needed to be good at his job, to keep the demons in line, to make them believe that he truly was the King of Hell, even if it tore at his soul to do so.

They all deserved it, he told himself. They were all here because of their own guilt. They were killers and liars and thieves. Wringing out the confessions of all the vile things they’d done made him angry, wrathful, and he used that fire, that energy to get through day after day, week after week. And he even remembered how to find the satisfaction in his work. Especially when he visited certain residents. Like Malcom. Or Perry. Or Cain.

_It was a job,_ he’d told her. Eve had started him believing that it was who he was, but now that he was back, he remembered how wrong that was. It was what he’d become, what this place had made of him. So he resisted, and it cost him. If he couldn’t find a balance, he would have his a rebellion of his own on his hands. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

Then her soul brushed against his in the sweetest prayer he’d ever heard. Her words came to him slowly; he spent three days enjoying her prayers like the caress of her hand across his cheek. And he let himself hope that he might not be here forever.

But time went quickly in Hell, and one month turned into another, and still there was no word. He berated himself for the hope, because every day it diminished, and its loss was painful to the core. He visited Reese, watched himself play through that little loop with the Detective at his side, but instead of bringing comfort, it only served to remind him of all he’d lost. In the end it was only his stubborn determination that kept him walking the halls, dealing out retribution here and there, letting Hell itself do most of the work for him.

When he heard her again, saying she was on her way, he froze. Her words came at the usual pace, unimpaired by the time differences. How? And more to the point, was she insane? But he searched for the sense of her, and it was a lot closer than he thought possible. 

_Lucifer, where are you? We're here, we’re going to get you out. _

She was inside the gates. But that was impossible, even if she were dead, she would be in the other place. 

_Amenadiel, what the Hell are you doing? _

_Like she said, getting you out of here. Are you coming or not?_

He swooped down in the direction the prayer was coming from, seeking, finding, fighting back a flood of bottled up emotion.

“No!” he said roughly as he reached the ground in front of them. “No no no! You can't be here, you can't see this!”

“Lucifer!” she almost ran into his arms, but something held her back. A band of light around her waist linked her to Amenadiel, and a dark chain below it linked her to Maze. She held out her hands to him, nonetheless, unafraid of his monstrous visage. But he was afraid, ashamed, torn apart inside all over again. He flapped his burned wings and took a step backwards. “It's all right. Everything's okay. We're here to rescue you.”

A part of his brain noted that she was a little short for a stormtrooper, but the rest of it was short-circuiting on the fact that this was Hell, and she was good, and if she didn't get out soon, it would hurt her, corrupt her as it did everyone else. “You have to go. Right now.”

“We will, but we're taking you with us.”

“I can't leave. They're close to rebellion as it is. They need a king to keep them contained.”

“And they will have one. But not you.”

His thoughts grew more coherent as he listened to her voice. She was perfectly calm, like she had a plan. She always did know what to do. “Then who?”

“Whomever you choose,” she said, holding up a small vial. It looked eerily like the one from Father Kinley, except that it shone with an intense white light. “This is a gift from your Dad. Any demon who drinks it will become an angel- or at least, enough of an angel to rule here. You just have to tell us who it will be.”

He looked from one face to the other, and though it still didn't make a lot of sense, he decided to play along. “Maze? You'd make an excellent king.”

“Hell no. I'm not getting that shit anywhere near me. I'm just awesome as I am.”

“Dromos!” He bellowed, his voice echoing through the stone pillars. The demon appeared at his side, bowing with barely suppressed resentment. For some reason, he still looked like Father Kinley. Perhaps he'd liked the form and decided to keep it. It showed a lack of imagination, which right now was a mark in his favour. “Dromos, tell me truthfully, and know that I will sense it if you lie. Do you still harbour ambitions to control the throne of Hell?”

The angelic compulsion wouldn't work on a demon, but the fear of the Devil was enough. “I would not seek to overthrow my king,” he grovelled, “but if you were to take another extended vacation, I might see how high I could climb.”

“And if I told you there was a way for you to be the true king of Hell, what would you say?”

“Surely that's impossible.”

“The Detective informs me that it's not. Is that what you desire?”

“I-” he started, but looking into eyes of fire, changed his mind. “Yes!”

“Even if it comes with a price?”

“I would pay anything for the chance to rule.”

“There are conditions. The first of which is that you revoke none of my rules. That means no more possessions, no demons wandering top side. You have dominion only over the dead and damned. If you do not adhere to this, I will find out, and I will take action. You will lose your throne and possibly your life into the bargain. The second is that if, for some reason, I ever need to come back, you will show me the same honour and fealty that you gave me when I was king. And finally, know that you are still answerable to my Father. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my liege. I will follow all your commands.”

“Very well. Detective, he is the one. I name Dromos my successor.” Lucifer took a step back towards her and accepted the vial, careful not to accidentally scratch her fingers with his claws. He offered it to Dromos.

“What's that?” he asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

“The thing that will make you into a king.”

“What do I do with it?”

_“Sluk dit, jy swaksinnige!”_ Maze blurted before Lucifer had a chance to display ignorance.

Dromos took it, uncorked it and knocked it back with a grin. He shuddered, as if the taste was strong and offensive, which it probably was. And then he gagged and doubled over. He fell to his hands and knees, his back hunched, and the rest of them watched, perturbed, as black feathers began to sprout through his leather jacket. It must have hurt, because he was snarling and cursing, but then all at once he stopped struggling and two huge, dark wings burst out behind him.

_“Onheilige helvuur!”_ he roared. _“Jy het my bloedige engelvlerke gegee?_ You made me a sodding angel!” But then he burst out laughing. He stood and flapped experimentally. “So, do we need some kind of coronation? Do I get a crown?”

“You get a throne,” Lucifer answered. “I shall leave the rest of it up to you. But there is one thing I will do, just to avoid confusion.” He bent his knees and flew up into the sky once more. His voice boomed out into every corner of Hell, “ALL HAIL YOUR NEW KING DROMOS!”

Something shifted inside him, a burden lifted, and he felt the obligation leave him. It was done. He had officially abdicated. He was finally free. 

Dromos flapped clumsily until he too rose up into the air. A line of glowing red circled his head, curling up into bright flames that formed a crown of pure hellfire. "I'm the new King of Hell!" he declared, and launched himself at the throne.

When Lucifer came back down, Chloe was watching him, and she was smiling. He glanced at his hands as he stepped towards her, but nothing had changed yet. There was time though, and she didn't seem to mind. She reached up to cup his face, stroking his cheek. He thought for a moment she might actually kiss him, but her eyes flicked sideways to Amenadiel and back. She spoke instead.

“How long has it been? For you?”

“Three years.”

She chuckled. “No, really.”

“Three years,” he repeated seriously. “Can I really come home now?”

“Yes, Lucifer!” she threw her arms around him, her face pressed against his pitted chest. “You can come home. You can stay.”

He dared to smile, just a little. “Well then, what are we waiting for?” 

“We have to exit through the Gate,” Maze said, “something to do with all kinds of miracle junk, I wasn't really paying attention.”

“It keeps my soul protected. And I have to stay bound to these two. But you can walk with us?”

“Yes.” He was still finding it hard to believe he was actually leaving. One last walk might help. Chloe took his hand and off they went, through the ash and the stone pillars, through the cries of the damned. But nothing seemed to touch her. Amenadiel and Maze were tinged with grey, but the Detective still shone as brightly as ever. At last they reached their destination, the boney Gate still ajar. Lucifer pushed it gently and it still bent to his will. Good to know- just in case. He let the others go first, protective as always. Then, with a deep breath and stepped through. There were no fireworks, no dramatic fanfares to mark the end of the era. Just a creak and a soft click as he turned and shut the Gate.

Closure. So that's what it meant.


	6. Home

Chloe barely noticed the journey home. Her bonds vanished somewhere along the way. She was vaguely aware of the surrealness of her surroundings, but mostly she couldn't take her eyes off Lucifer. It didn't matter that he still looked monstrous, it was him, and she would get him home and fix him. All that mattered was that they were together.

As soon as they landed on the beach, she pulled out her phone and called Dan. "Hey, we're back. We're safe."

"Oh thank God!" came the reply. "I mean…"

"No, in this case, that's quite literally who you should be thanking. But Lucifer still needs some stuff sorted out, can you keep Trixie a while longer?"

"Sure. I mean it's been less than two hours. How did you get back so fast?"

"It was longer where we were. Gotta go. Hug Trixie for me."

Amenadiel stopped the clock, and whisked them all back to the penthouse. Chloe poured Lucifer a large glass of whisky without asking and made him sit on the sofa. He had to lift his wings out the way, but then he emptied the glass down his throat and sighed. "That's better. Now would someone like to explain to me _what the bloody Hell is going on?"_

"We rescued you," Chloe said. "You don't have to go back, not ever."

"Why?"

"Because I knew you didn't want to be there."

"Yes, but… how?"

So they told him, the whole story, from beginning to end. Maze offered colourful commentary and pertinent notes on how much she disliked his family. She also gloried in the part where Chloe punched God in the face.

"You what?" he gaped. "And He still helped you?"

"Yes!” Maze insisted. “That's how awesome she was!"

Chloe grew increasingly concerned. Something about the way his smiles didn't quite reach his eyes, and the way he seemed to be constantly on guard. Plus, he still wasn't changing back. She was starting to worry he might have forgotten how. And whenever she tried to touch him, he shrank away. In the end, he was pacing the room, knocking back whisky at a rate that suggested he might drink the entire bar by nightfall.

He stood in silence, leaning on a tall glass table, after Amenadiel finished the story.

"Lucifer, what's wrong?" she asked. 

"What's wrong? _What's wrong?_" He threw his glass at the wall and smashed it on the stones. "You spoke to Dad! Apart from the fact he never speaks to anyone, you put yourself in grave danger. He could have destroyed you."

"But I'm fine. We saved you. We got you out."

"I…" he looked down at his hands hopelessly.

"Perhaps I should go get Linda?" Amenadiel suggested.

"Good plan," Maze agreed. "I'll come with."

They walked into the elevator, and Chloe was left alone with Lucifer. She'd imagined this moment, what it might be like to have him back. It had never once looked like this.

"Detective…" 

One thing she did know. All she wanted was to be near him. She went to him and took his hands. "Lucifer, I'm here. This is real."

As soon as she spoke the words, she remembered him asking her that question, it seemed like a lifetime ago. Clearly so did he. He fell to his knees before her. "I tried. I tried to be worthy. But I couldn't… I had to be…"

"Shhhhh…" she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulled him into her chest and kissed the top of his head. "You did what you had to. But it's over now." She stroked him gently, leaving streaks in the ash that still coated his skin, waiting for the reality to filter through. Slowly, protectively, his wings arched up and curled around her. They were dark and scarred and clawed, and they didn't quite touch her, but they radiated warmth. She didn't know what else to say, so she just held him like that, waiting to see what he needed.

It had been, without any doubt, the strangest day of her life. She knew she hadn't processed it all yet, and would most likely get some kind of delayed adrenalin reaction at some point. Maybe collapse into unconsciousness for several hours. That sounded like a good idea. Except that Lucifer needed her, now more than ever. 

He didn't smell right. It was old smoke and sulphur, but then she probably smelled the same. Hell had been worse than she'd imagined, and the scent lingered. The lack of natural light, the sounds of torment echoing near and far, but worst of all was the oppressive atmosphere of the place. It was a feeling of hopelessness, dread, utter despair. She knew the bonds had protected her from the worst of it, and she hadn't even entered any of the cells. She had no idea how he had lived in that place for three years, let alone the eternity between his Fall and when he came to L.A. It made her realise just how strong he must have been to survive. She pressed her lips to his scalp again, whispering reassurance, telling him he was good and brave and he'd done well, but it was all over.

She was still holding him when Linda arrived. The therapist paused when she saw him. Amenadiel had warned her about his appearance, and she thought she'd be prepared for it, having seen the wings and the face already. All of it together though- that was something else. Her heart seized and she felt the rush of fear telling her to flee. She screwed her eyes shut, mentally counted to ten and opened them again.

Chloe looked up at her, her face tight with worry. "I don't know what to do," she gasped. It brought Linda back to herself. She knew how to deal with people in pain. And this was no monster, it was just her friend, who had the strange ability to project how he felt about himself into a physical representation. Which was useful, right now, because it gave her specific insight into what was going on inside his head.

"Lucifer?" She took a few steps closer.

"Don't look at me, Doctor. Please." His voice was muffled against Chloe's chest. He was hiding.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm hideous and I don't want to scare you again."

"I'm here. I'm not scared."

Chloe gently lifted his head to meet his red-eyed gaze. "It's okay. We both know you won't hurt us." 

He carefully got back to his feet, slow and smooth, like someone trying not to spook a wounded animal. 

"I think there's a lot to talk about," Linda said. "Where would you feel most comfortable?"

He gave a self-mocking smirk. "You mean apart from my bed?"

Linda looked at Chloe, who shrugged. She nodded. "We can do bed. I want you to feel safe. I want to help you understand that you're home now." She walked towards the steps and offered him a hand.

"Why, Doctor, did you want to return to our former arrangement?" The joke was forced, but it was a good sign. Inappropriate humour was part of his character, and it meant that he hadn't totally forgotten who he was here.

She rewarded him with a cheeky smile. "I think your Detective might have some objections to that."

"She can come too," he said, a little more convincingly.

"Can we sort out where we are with us before we start talking about threesomes?" Chloe suggested.

A little of the former twinkle returned to his eyes. "So you're not ruling out the possibility completely?"

She put a hand on the back of a wing and shoved him towards the bed. He kicked off his shoes and sprawled out on his back. Chloe sat cross-legged in one corner, avoiding the expanse of his wings, while Linda perched on the other side.

“So,” Linda began, “haven’t we been here before?”

“In my bed?”

“With the not-so-new look. We both know what it means.” 

“Yes, well, everything comes in cycles. Loops endlessly repeating.”

“Is this a conscious choice, or did the winds change and leave you stuck like that?”

“It was a choice to begin with. It felt easier to rule like this, when things got… unpleasant. There are aspects of the job that were harder than they were before my extended vacation. Probably because you humans have infected me with all this pesky self-awareness and empathy.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Okay, so how about we focus on the fact that you’re back?” 

He fixed his eyes on the ceiling.

“For real. For good this time.”

“I only wish I could believe it was true.”

“What makes you think it isn’t?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that it was orchestrated by Dear Old Dad, who has a nasty habit of making me suffer just for the fun of it. He particularly seems to like waiting until I think I might actually have something good in my life and then squashing all my hopes like so many bugs.”

“But before you left, you were coming to realise that it wasn’t all His doing. Some things just happen.”

He didn’t answer.

“And if the bad things that happened over the last few years weren’t part of His plan, then you’re joining up dots to make a pattern that doesn’t exist.”

“What about the Fall? The _eons_ of silence? And then He just turns up out of the blue and thinks He can just make it all go away as if it never happened?”

“You’re still mad. That’s natural.”

“I’m merely pointing out that I have perfectly justifiable reasons to be wary of my Father’s intentions.”

Chloe covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.

The others both glared at her. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just those fancy words, coming out of your mouth when you look like that is kind of incongruous. And so very _you._ Look, Lucifer, I know you’re not going to accept this all at once, and it would be unfair to expect you to But you’re here now, you’re home, and that’s what matters. And if you want to stay like this, that’s fine, you take as long as you need, I don’t care, just so long as you let me stay with you.”

“You’ll stay?”

“Of course. I love you, remember?”

“It’s been so long. And Hell… it makes you doubt everything.”

“Next time you start to wonder, think about this. I knocked on the door of Heaven for you. I walked through the Gates of Hell to find you. I was tested by angels and punched God and lived to tell the tale, for you. I would do anything to be with you. It’s going to take a lot more than a pair of bat wings and your own self-doubt to make me give up on you."

"You talk like all this is nothing," he indicated his body with a wave of a clawed hand.

"Well, it kinda is. Nothing, I mean. It's just a feeling, and it will pass and you'll be you again."

"You think this isn't me?"

"No, its not. This is a picture from a book that says you bite the heads off children. It's a myth, a projection, a mask you had to wear to protect yourself from the horrors of Hell. It's a uniform, and you don't have to wear it anymore because that's not your job." She reached for his hand, and he let her take it. “The only reason that this face bothers me, is because it means that you’re hurting. I wish I could take it away, but I know that you have to find your own way back.”

“You make it sound like a part of me is still in Hell.”

“Perhaps,” Linda said. “Or perhaps you’re carrying a part of Hell inside you. And that’s okay too. It’s not easy to let go of those kinds of experiences, they stay with you, but they do get smaller with time, and more manageable. And if the how and why of being back home is too big for you to think about right now, focus on something that’s easier. Something you can control.”

His eyes closed. “I don’t feel like I can control anything at the moment.”

Chloe poked his leg. “Well you can start by getting changed. These pants are disgusting with ash, and you have a whole wardrobe back there just waiting for you.”

“I won’t exactly fit in a suit right now.”

“So put on some of those shiny jammies you like. And fix your guyliner.”

“Seriously?” 

“Do we have to turn this into a makeover party?”

“I don’t know, does that mean you lovely ladies will join me in the shower?”

“Not today, Satan,” Linda grinned.

He pouted. “I’m the only one allowed to make Devil jokes.”

Chloe and Linda looked at each other, and they both rolled their eyes. Chloe crawled over and snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder, and beckoned Linda to do the same.

“Please tell me you’re going to start snogging now. That would be a wonderful way to cheer me up.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to settle for cuddles,” Chloe said. But she did reach across Lucifer’s belly to hold Linda’s arm. “This is nice.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Linda agreed. “He’s surprisingly snuggleable.”

“What, you two never snuggled?”

“Not properly. I don’t think being lying on top of him because I was too thoroughly shagged to move counts.”

“It doesn’t?” he asked surprised. “Have I been doing something wrong?”

“Nothing at all, Lucifer. You got everything just perfect. But that wasn’t us. I’m sure Chloe will teach you all about snuggling.”

He looked down at her with burning eyes, filled with the sadness of a million lifetimes. “Will you really, Detective?”

“Lucifer, of course I will. If you want me to.”

His lips raised in a tentative smile. “Can we start the lesson now?”

“We already have, love.” She rested her head back down, and moved her hand from Linda’s arm to stroke his chest. The texture of his skin felt strange- rough and ridged- but not unpleasant. She sighed, exhausted. 

Lucifer pulled them both in a little tighter. It felt good to be surrounded by soft flesh, even if there were clothes in the way. Lying like this with people who cared about him was strange. It was never like this with Eve. She’d wanted cuddles, and he had given them, but it always felt slightly awkward, he was always waiting for it to be over so he could get back to what he considered the good stuff. Right now, he was perfectly content. And he could sense that both ladies were also perfectly content. He pressed his face into their hair, one at a time, taking in their sweet, familiar scents. There was nothing like that in Hell. He was home.

When Lucifer’s breathing was deep and even, Linda raised her head. She touched Chloe’s shoulder lightly. “Hey,” she whispered. Chloe raised a sleepy head. “Are you okay from here?”

Her friend nodded. “I think so. I don’t think this is the kind of thing that we can fix all at once.” 

“He’s sleeping, that’s a start. Things usually look better in the morning.”

“Anything else I should do, or not do?”

“Just keep holding him. Keep letting him know that you’re here for him, and you care, and you accept him unconditionally. Don’t let him trick you into thinking he’s all better when he’s not.”

“Those are all things I can do. You need to get back to Charlie?”

“Yeah, but call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will. Thanks so much, Linda.”

“Thank _you._ For bringing him back.”

Chloe rested back in the Devil’s arms and drifted off to sleep.

She woke as the sun was setting, to find Lucifer wide-eyed and shaking. “Lucifer! Lucifer, it’s okay, I’m here.” He looked at her, but didn’t seem to see her. She stroked his face, his shoulders, his wings. “You’re home. It’s done. No more Hell.”

“Detective?”

“Yes, Lucifer, it’s me.” His eyes were still troubled. “I brought you back, remember? Dromos is King now. You’re free to do whatever you want.”

"Free." A single tear rolled down his cheek. She held him until he stopped shaking. "What I want, Chloe, is simply to be with you."

She smiled, gazing up at him, her heart ready to burst. "That's good. Because that's what I want too."

He lay there, unmoving. She searched his face, recognising the shape of his jaw, the line of his nose even through the crimson scars. After a few moments, she just couldn’t wait any longer. She leaned over him and kissed him, gently, right in the corner of his mouth. She cupped his face, and kissed him again on the other side, and he stayed perfectly still. A third time, she pressed her lips to his, lingering, wanting more but afraid to push for it. Slowly, his mouth opened, and he let her in. She touched her tongue to his softly, caressing the inside of his mouth. His teeth were pointed. He seemed almost timid as he returned the kiss, uncertain and tentative. She withdrew and smiled at him.

"I think you'll feel more like yourself once you're clean and in fresh clothes. Come on." She sat up and led him to the bathroom. She got the shower running and looked at him expectantly. "Never seen you shy about presenting me with your naked splendour before," she teased.

He gave a small exhalation that was almost a laugh. "Nothing splendid about me just now," he answered.

"You are everything splendid. You're Lucifer bloody Morningstar!" she fell into a mock English accent. It was a good distraction from the fact that she was reaching for his belt, pulling it out of the loops, and dropping in on the floor. "Are you going to make me take your pants off too?"

"Perhaps later," he said, and got rid of them, throwing them into a heap in the corner. He had obviously been going commando in Hell, and she took a few seconds to appreciate the fact that his Satanic figure was just as well proportioned as she remembered his human-looking body to be. And then she looked down and noticed that he was still wearing his socks. A giggle spluttered through her tightly pressed lips. 

"What? Is there something wrong?"

"You're a naked Devil in socks!" she said, trying not to laugh, and failing miserably.

"How did that happen?" He chuckled as he took off the offending items, rolled them into a tight ball and sent them the same way as his trousers. Chloe found a seat (because of course his bathroom was big enough to have actual chairs in it) and watched while he stepped into the shower, considering.

"You know, I could get used to this," she said. "I don't want to think about the questions it would raise if you turned up like this at the precinct, but I could learn to love that body.”

“Are you suggesting we move in together?” he asked, confused.

“Maybe one day. But that’s not what I meant.” His wings were shorter where they joined his back, leaving her with a view of his perfectly round behind. Red and scarred, but still with a curve to it that begged to be handled. For a moment she wondered how she could even be thinking like that about something so alien looking, but then she considered the day she’d had and it wasn’t such a stretch. He was alien, other-worldly, and his siblings were made of gold and fire. Whatever form his flesh took didn’t matter, it was his soul that she was drawn to. The flesh was just a way to express that. 

“Bloody Hell!” he swore, as his wings bumped against the tiled walls as he turned. The shower was at least three times the size of hers, with water shooting out from a variety of spouts, but he was still cramped in there. “Well, you might be fine with it, but it’s damned awkward. With emphasis on the damned.”

“Lucifer, you’re not damned. Not anymore. Hold still, I’ll come help you.” She pulled off her jeans, but after a moment's thought, kept her shirt and underwear on. "Do you have a shower scrunchie thing?" He passed her a lump of natural looking sponge. She found some expensive liquid soap from a shelf and poured some into it. She stood behind him, half in, half out, and getting lightly splashed. "I'm going to wash some of the dirt from your wings. Is that okay?"

He nodded, and braced his hands on the tiles, his shoulders tense.

Chloe wasn't sure where to start, but she decided that it would be best to work downward. She carefully touched the sponge to the pointed corner at the top of his left wing and began to rub it around. On tip-toes, she scrubbed the claw-like protrusion, and then worked her way across the dark, boney edges. She watched his fingers tighten and his knuckles go white.

"I don't…" he began. "How can you bear to do this?"

"Well, it turns out you don't have horns, so maybe this is the next best thing," she replied lightly.

He scoffed. "You can't mean that. I'm hideous. I'm a monster."

"Not to me. To me, you're wonderful. A marvel."

He looked over his shoulder at her, and she smiled. A real smile, full of fondness. He smiled back, in spite of himself.

She carried on, bubbles dripping down the expanse of skin, the sponge turning grey and sticky. It was easier to rinse it out in the sink, and then with plenty more soap she resumed her task.

"Did He say anything, about us?" Lucifer asked.

She could almost hear the capital letter. "Your Dad?"

"Yes."

"He said He made me to be immune to you. Amenadiel had already told me he'd visited my mom, so it wasn't too much of a surprise. But your Dad wasn't expecting us to fall in love. And He certainly didn't plan for me to go and plead your case. He said I'd shown up early."

"But that means… everything that you feel, it's all you. It was your choice."

"If course it was. You thought otherwise?"

"When I found out about Amenadiel's part in your birth, I thought it was all part of Dad's plan. That he was manipulating both of us. That's why I went away."

"To Vegas? Is that why you married Candy?"

"It was part of it. I wanted to show you it would never work. I couldn't let you do anything against your will."

She took a step closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her face on the spines between his wings. "Lucifer… I love you. For real. For everything that you do for me, and for everything that you are."

"Everything?"

"Yes. Everything. Seeing where you were, where you came from- it only makes it stronger." She turned her face and kissed him, right there in the centre of his back, right where one of the spikes took root. He gasped and shuddered. She ran a soothing hand over his skin, and then went back to cleaning him. When the first wing was clean, it shone as the water ran over it. Chloe was utterly soaked, but it didn't matter. She got to work on the other side, neither of them speaking. There was too much feeling, and she just wanted to be present in the moment. Washing all traces of Hell from the man she loved.

Not exactly a man. Clearly male, just not human. Not that it mattered. 

When the back of both his wings were gleaming, she realised she'd have to do it all over again in the front. She quickly cleaned his back, and over his butt and down his legs. He was still streaked with ash even where his pants had been, but it was less. She placed a hand on the top of his wings and pressed gently. "You'll need to fold them down so you can turn around."

"All right," he replied, his breath heavy. "I'll just need a moment."

"You okay?"

"Yes. More than okay. That was… intensely pleasurable."

"Oh. I see." She waited while he took several deep breaths and turned around. He used his folded wings to hide himself; she had never seen him so bashful. She passed him the sponge. "How about I let you sort out the delicate parts, and then I can finish off your wings one at a time. That way I won't see anything you're not ready for me to see."

He took the sponge, staring. "And what about you? You're soaked and filthy." 

She looked down at herself. Her blouse wasn't doing much to conceal her anymore, it clung to her skin. She was also covered in soapy grey splotches. "Let's get you sorted out first, then we can decide what to do with me."

He got clean behind his self-made curtain, rinsing ash from the sponge more than once. Then he offered it back and opened one wing. The other didn't quite curve round far enough to cover him from every angle, but she kept her eyes averted out of respect for his need for privacy. She did, however, glance at his face as she washed him, and caught him with his eyes closed, biting his lip.

"Is it really that good?" she asked.

"Mmm." He kept his arms folded across his extra large chest, hugging his elbows.

"It's okay to enjoy it Lucifer. And I can't believe I'm having to say that to you, of all people."

"You don't feel that it's too… intimate?"

She stopped and caressed his cheek. "Why would it be? I want to share everything with you. No more holding back, no fear or doubt. I've made my decision, and I'm here. Whatever you desire. That's your thing, right?"

He smiled, "I suppose it is." He drew in a deep breath and let it out with a long hum of pleasure.

Chloe felt stirrings deep in her belly. She liked the sound. She liked making him feel good, and planned to do a lot more of it. The water ran over both of them, rivulets that left trails of purity through the muck. That's how they would build their relationship. Letting their love gradually erase all trace of Hell and torment. It would take time. But she had plenty of that.

He didn't try to hide when he opened the other wing. It wasn't the proud twirl when he'd first displayed himself to her in all his glory. It was much more self-conscious, a step of trust and vulnerability. She didn't say anything. She deliberately kept her mouth firmly shut. Her eyebrows did move up half an inch, though.

She moved across and touched him with an increased tenderness after seeing visible proof of the effect she was having. She noticed him shiver, listened to the small sounds that escaped his lips and learned what to do to make it happen again. He liked it when her hands followed the lines of the veins, the fingerlike bone structure. Always downwards- any movement that went up made him tense. Like a cat being rubbed the wrong way, she thought, and then realised. He was used to feathers, and instinctively reacted as if those feathers were being ruffled. So she altered her technique, imagining his brilliant white pinions, touching him as if she were smoothing and straightening them. Even when he was all clean, she didn't stop, but dropped the sponge and tended him with both hands. 

It took her completely by surprise when the first feather sprang out between her fingers. She stared at it for a second, and then caressed it, delighted at its softness. She ran her fingers down either side, and half a dozen more appeared. "Lucifer? Can you feel this?"

"It feels wonderful."

"No, I mean, look."

He opened his eyes and smirked. "You are a miracle."

"No. This comes from you." She stroked him again, leaving a trail of white in her wake. Her face lit up with delight. 

Lucifer turned off the water. "Keep going," he said, so she went on, as if painting his wing, until the entire side was covered in luminous plumage. She went to the other wing and did the same. He grinned, showing his fangs. "Detective, I don't know what's happening, but it's bloody marvellous."

By the time she got him turned around again, the backs were already more than half covered. She ran her hands over the top edges, coating them with down. The pointed horns didn't disappear, but turned pure white and poked out of the feathers like polished marble, like pearl. She filled the gaps with her caresses, relishing in the feel of him, the way he responded to her touch. When there was not a spot of red left on his wings, she took her hands away reluctantly, and went to go and get a towel or two from the rail. She passed one to Lucifer first; he dried his face wrapped it around his waist. As she ditched her sodden shirt and began to dry herself, she was overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness, and had to grab the wall for support.

Lucifer saw her sway and took her arms. "Detective? What's wrong?" The look of concern on his Devil-face should have been out of place, but it only seemed to amplify it. 

"I'm okay. Just a bit giddy. It's been a long day."

"When did you last eat?"

"I dunno. Breakfast?"

At the mention of food, her stomach complained loudly.

Lucifer wrapped her in a huge towel and swept her up in his arms. He carried her to the bed and got her under the covers, folding the towel to go under her wet hair. "I know it's a terribly cheesy line, but you need to get out of those wet underclothes. I can bring you something else to wiggle into if you like."

The sheets rose and fell and she dropped the soaked things on the floor. "I think I'll be fine," she smiled.

"It's not fair. I've finally got you naked in my bed and you're in no fit state for anything. Let me see what I can rummage up in the way of food." He walked away and came back with a couple of energy bars. "I'm afraid my cupboards are rather bare, what with being away and all. Clearly nobody told the cleaners to stop coming, so at least it hasn’t all been left to go off. I looked to check if these are past their expiry date and it occurred to me I have no idea how long I've been away."

"Six weeks," she answered, giving the bars a quick glance before tearing into one of them. "These will do for now. I'm too tired to eat much anyway. Will you stay with me?"

"That may not be very conducive to sleep. For either of us."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Even like this?" 

She took his hand and drew him towards her. "Even like this. You're mine, Lucifer Morningstar. I love you."

This time, he it was all her. This time he knew she meant it.

"I love you too." He took her face in his tough, crimson hands, and kissed her.

And much later, as the morning sunlight danced through sheer curtains, she awoke to find him watching her with deep, brown eyes.


End file.
